Two people hospitalised and 100 evacuated as fire engulfs London high-rise block

Two people were hospitalized and more than 100 evacuated after a fire in a block of flats with known “safety issues” in east London.

According to the London Fire Brigade (LFB), more than 200 firefighters were involved in the “major incident” following the fire at a multi-purpose building on Freshwater Road in Dagenham and the search operation is still ongoing.

At first, thick black smoke was seen pouring out of the building and flames were blazing. Residents were instructed to keep windows and doors closed.

The cause of the fire is not yet known, LFB said.

Patrick Goulbourne, deputy chief of the London Fire Brigade, said the fire service had declared a major incident so that firefighters could concentrate their resources on the fire.

He said: “The London Fire Service is aware of a number of fire safety issues in the building.”

A “simultaneous” evacuation of the building was carried out “immediately” and a “significant” search and rescue operation is still ongoing, he added.

The residents were taken to a rest area set up at a nearby recreation center.

Assistant Commissioner Goulbourne also urged people to avoid the area and asked residents to keep doors and windows closed as the fire was still producing heavy smoke.

When the LFB was called at 02:44 CET, it initially reported that the scaffolding around the building as well as parts of the building up to the sixth floor and the roof were on fire.

Four people were treated at the scene by the London Ambulance Service (LAS), two others were taken to hospital.

The cause of the fire is not yet known, but the building's “non-compliant” cladding has just been removed. according to a Facebook post by a construction contractor.

A “comprehensive” investigation will be carried out in due course, the fire department said.

All parts of the building are said to be affected by the fire, including a daycare center in one of the business units on the ground floor.

A resident of the first floor of the building told the BBC that he was woken up in the early hours of Monday morning by one of his neighbours banging furiously on his door.

The resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said his neighbor did the same thing to all the apartments in the hallway.

He said he saw “explosive” flames and was relieved to get out safely.

Karthick Kannaiah and his wife Meghana rushed out of their apartment with their six-month-old baby and their friend's six-year-old daughter after waking up to the smell of smoke.

Mr Kannaiah said he opened the window and saw the flames after his wife told him the scaffolding outside was burning.

“We opened the door and saw people rushing towards the stairs. Somehow we managed to get out of the building with our baby,” he said.

The six-year-old's father told the BBC that his friends and his daughter were “calm but scared” when the fire broke out.

Dinesh Raj said he received a call around 3 a.m. that the building was on fire and rushed to the scene in his car.

He said the family fled immediately when they smelled smoke, grabbing their six-month-old baby and his daughter.

By the time they left the building, the fire had already spread to the top floor, he said.

40 fire engines and 225 firefighters were dispatched to Freshwater Road, which was closed to traffic. The fire service used a drone to determine where to concentrate emergency services.

Station manager Alan Bendell is on site and said: “The fire is producing heavy smoke and we advise residents to keep windows and doors closed.”

“Two of the brigade’s 32-metre-long turntable ladders are being used on site as aerial water towers to support firefighting from heights.”

Several ambulances are nearby and the LAS said a rescue helicopter has been dispatched.

“We treated four patients on site and took two of them to hospital,” said an emergency services spokesman.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper thanked firefighters and other rescue workers for their “courage and quick action” in fighting the fire.

Crews from Dagenham, Ilford, Romford, Barking and surrounding fire stations are on site.

LFB describes the property as a “mixed-use residential and commercial building”.